YearToAvoid

2012 Toyota Avalon Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

50/100

#7 most-complained of 13 Avalon years

The 2012 Toyota Avalon has a Complaint Index of 50 and ranks 7th worst out of 13 model years, earning a Caution verdict. It has 30 NHTSA complaints, 4 recalls, and its top problem area is Structure & Body, making it a middling year among Avalon model years.

Complaints
30
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
8 / 1
Injuries / deaths
6 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
22
19 city / 28 hwy

Top 2012 Toyota Avalon problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Structure & Body7 (23%)
  2. Airbags6 (20%)
  3. Engine5 (17%)
  4. Electrical System4 (13%)
  5. Visibility & Wipers4 (13%)
  6. Brakes3 (10%)
  7. Other2 (7%)
  8. Seat Belts1 (3%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (3%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain1 (3%)

What owners report

  • Frontal or side airbags reportedly failed to deploy during moderate-to-high-speed collisions, including a 65 mph crash with an 18-wheeler.
  • Some owners describe unintended acceleration or engine racing after being rear-ended, with the service brakes failing to stop the vehicle.
  • One owner reported repeated brake failure accompanied by racing engine sounds, leading to a rear-end collision.
  • A recalled sub-woofer amplifier issue left one vehicle without a fix available at the dealer for an extended period.
  • Trunk lid reportedly falls closed unexpectedly even when raised to its upper limit, sometimes failing to open from the inside switch.
  • One owner reported the vehicle lurching forward while parking and striking a sign and building.
2012 Toyota Avalon complaints: complaints filed per month3May 2013May 2014Apr 2015Nov 2015Jul 2018Mar 2020May 2023
34 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2013 to May 2023; peak Jul 2013 (3).

2012 Toyota Avalon recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 20V024000Jan 17, 2020Airbags2,891,976 vehicles

    Air bags: air bag/restraint control module

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.

    Risk: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.

  2. NHTSA 18V569000Aug 29, 2018Seat Belts19,354 vehicles

    Seat belts

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles. During a vehicle repair, the seat belt inner buckles may have been replaced with parts that may incorrectly tell the air bag management system that the seat belt is always buckled.

    Risk: If the seat belt is falsely interpreted as being buckled, in the event of a crash, the air bags may not deploy appropriately, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the seat belt assembly to verify that it is properly detecting being unbuckled, replacing the inner seat belt assembly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0S.

  3. NHTSA 15V047000Jan 28, 2015Electrical System51,495 vehicles

    Electrical system

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles manufactured February 9, 2010, to October 22, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the sub-woofer speaker located in the trunk may experience an intermittent electrical short which may cause damage to the integrated circuit (IC) in the audio amplifier. In some cases, the damaged IC may allow a constant electrical current flow to the sub-woofer.

    Risk: A constant electrical current flow may cause the sub-woofer to overheat, increasing the risk of fire.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the audio system amplifier and install a protective cover around the sub-woofer, free of charge. The recall began on July 1,2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

See all 4 recalls for the 2012 Toyota Avalon →

2012 Toyota Avalon fuel economy and fuel cost

City
19 MPG
Highway
28 MPG
Combined
22 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,950
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2012 compared with other Avalon years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Caution5844623
2011Avoid92106123
2012Caution5030422
2013Avoid100137424.5
2014Avoid8396424.5

All Toyota Avalon years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Toyota Avalon reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2012 Avalon a Complaint Index of 50 and a Caution verdict, ranking 7th worst of 13 model years. It sits in the middle of the pack, better than 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2019, but worse than 2015-2018, 2020-2022.
What problems does the 2012 Toyota Avalon have?
NHTSA lists 30 complaints for the 2012 Avalon, led by Structure & Body issues (7 complaints, 23% share), followed by Airbags (6 complaints, 20%) and Engine (5 complaints, 17%). Median mileage at failure for Structure & Body complaints was 25,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Toyota Avalon have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2012 Avalon, covering airbags, seat belts, electrical system (sub-woofer amplifier), and an air conditioning condenser drain hose. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2012 Avalon compare to other years?
The 2012 Avalon's Complaint Index of 50 is lower than 2011 (92), 2013 (100), 2014 (83), and 2019 (75), all rated Avoid, but higher than 2015-2018, 2020-2022, which rate Good or Best.
What is the fuel economy of the 2012 Toyota Avalon?
The EPA rates the 2012 Avalon at 22 mpg combined (19 city / 28 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,950.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.